Weft-replenishing mechanism for looms for weaving.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

. R. STARKIE. I WBPT RBPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WBAVING.

AIPLIOATION FILED BAR. 4. 1902.

no MODEL;

4 sums-sum: 1.

wmzsses:

A mama's TNE NORRIS vzrzns co. Pno'mymo WASNINGTON. a. z;

No. 755,72 PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

R, STARKIE. WEFT RE-PLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WBAVING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1902. N0 MODEL.

4 sun's-sum 2. 66

Miss

o v Q Aim/1r. (%%M Y B,

Ana/"'15 rs.

No. 755,720. PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

R. STARKIE. WBFT RBPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WBAVING.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 4. 1902.

H0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' swron.% wmvssses: 2 4 32/ 07 I A TTDRNE Y3. y

me nnRms Pzrzizs ca; wow-Lima, WASHINGYON, n. c.

No. 755,720. PATENTED MAR. 29.1904,

R. STARKIE. I WEPT REPLBNISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 4- 1902.

no MODEL. I g-P 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

w messes.-

I areas co. rrioro umou wAsHmaYou n c UNITED STATES f Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

RIDLEY STARKIE, OF BURNLEY, ENGLAND.

WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LCOMS FOR WEAVING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,720, dated March 29,11904.

Application filed March 4, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

replacing it by a full shuttle when a weft-thread breaks or fails. i

In carrying my improvements into effect I fix a stud to the frame at each side of the loom in a line with the shaft upon which the lathe rocks, and on each of these studs I pivot a rod made in two parts united by a spring knifejoint or equivalent form of coupling and connected at the upper end to the under side of the shuttle-box, which is immediately above it and which is pivoted or otherwise mounted,

- so as to drop or move forward when released.

When the knife-joint is opened, the two parts of the rod are in one straight line and the shuttle-box at each side of the loom is in its normal working position; but when a weftthread breaks or fails the weft-hammer being caught by the tail of the weft-fork in the usual way turns by means of suitable connections a shaft mounted parallel to the tappet-shaft, but near the front of the loom, and as the shaft moves on its axis two arms or projections fixed upon it are brought into a horizontal position immediately opposite the knife-joints in the connecting-rods, so that as the lathe moves forward the knife-joints meets the said I projections and are closed by them and the rods collapsing their springs draw down the shuttle-boxes on either sideof the loom. The effect of this is that a projection or striker at the setting-0n side of the loom comes in contact with a latch or retaining-catch, which it lifts or unlatches, thereby releasing a spring slide or pusher, which delivers a full shuttle from a reserve or feed box containing a supply of full shuttles into the setting-on shuttle- Serial No. 96,668- (No model.)

box. Simultaneously the collapse of the connecting-rod at the other side of the loom causes the shuttle-box to drop and tilt forward and eject the empty shuttle, which falls down an incline into askip or other receptacle below. At the return or backward stroke of the lathe the knife-joints are pressed against stationary projections on the side frames of the loom, whereby the knife-joints are opened out, the

connecting-rods straightened, and the shuttle boxes reset in their normal working positions. In order to retain the projections on the shaft which close the knife-joints of the connectingrods in a horizontal position for a sufficient length of time to enable the several parts of the automatic shuttle-motion to fulfil their respective functions, I employ a special form of tappet or riser on the tappet-shaft, the said tappet being so formed as to give a quick lift and a long dwell or slow fall to the weft-hammer lever.

In the accompanying four sheets of drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of one side of the loom, showing the parts in two different positions. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the other side of the loom, showing' the parts in a position corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail view showing the relative positions of the swell and shuttle. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the driving and loose pulleys and the clutch mechanism. Fig. 6 is a front view of the shuttle-hopper and adjacent parts. Fig. 7 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 8 isa detail view of lever 94, and Fig. 9 is an end view of theshuttle, hopper, and adjoining parts.

Similar reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views.

The frame 1 of the loom is of the usual construction and carries the crank-shaft 2, which is connected by arms 3 to the slay or lathe 4,

. ing it in the position shown in Fig. 1.

For example, as shown, the upper part of each rod 9 hastwo bosses cast on it, through which passes the stem of a flat-headed stud 10, which is bya spring 11 kept normally pressed against the flattened end of the lower part of the rod 9, which has a spring 12 connected to it and the frame in order to assist in maintain- At theirlower ends the rods 9 are mounted on studs 13, secured in slotted brackets 14, the studs 13 being above, but in line with the fulcrum 6 of the lathe. When the loom is working normally, the spring knife-joints on the rods 9 are closed in one straight line, and thus the shuttle-boxes 7 8 are maintained in line with the shuttle-race 15, as shown in Fig. 1; but if the weft-thread should break or fail and allow the weft-fork to drop in the nick of the weft-hammer in the usual way the spring knife-joints are opened or released and the rods 9 collapsed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by coming into contact as the lathe 4 oscillates with arms or projections 18, fixed, one near each end of the loom, on a horizontal shaft 19, placedparallel to the tappet-shaft 20, but

near the front of the loom. The shaft 19 is supported in bearings in brackets 21 and is actuated in one direction by a strap or equivalent 22, secured at one end to a pulley-block 23,fixed on the shaft, and at the other end to the end of a bell-crank lever 24, which supports the weftfork 25 and is fulcrumed on the boss of the wefthammer 26, which is pivoted at 27 and is actuated by the ordinary hammer-lever 28 and a special cam or tappet 29 on the tappet-shaft 20. This cam or tappet 29 is so formed as to give a quick lift and a long dwell to the wefthammer lever 28. Consequently whenever the weft breaks or fails and the weft-fork 25 engages the hammer 26 in the usual way the bell-crank lever 24 is lifted with the hammerlever 28 as the cam 29 raises the latter against the resistance of the spring 30, and thus the shaft 19 is turned a quarter-revolution by the strap 22 against the resistance of a coiled spring 31, connected at one end to the pulleyblock 23 and at the other end to the loomframe 1. The act of turning the shaft 19 a quarter-revolution, as described, brings the arms 18 into the horizontal position, (see Figs.

2 and 3,) and thus breaks the knife-joint in the rods 9 as the lathe 4 moves forward and draws down the shuttle-boxes 7 and 8. Also fixed 011 the shaft 19 is an arm 32, carrying an antifriction-bowl, which normally supports the end of the brake-lever 33, so that when the shaft 19 is turned partly around, as described,

the arm 32 being moved from under the end of the brake-lever 33 allows the latter to drop and apply the brake 34 to the brake-wheel 35,

other end of this lever rises it lifts, against the resistance of a coiled spring 40, a spindle 41, fitted vertically in slides or bearings 49 on a bracket 50. This movement brings the upper end of the spindle 41 into the groove of a sliding sleeve 42, (see Fig. 5,) which is mounted loose upon the crank-shaft 2, on which are also mounted loosely a pair of belt-pulleys 43 44, kept in place by a fixed collar 45. The pulley 43 is the driving-pulley and has clutch-teeth formed on its boss to engage corresponding clutch-teeth on one side of the sleeve 42. On the other side the sleeve has long teeth or projections 42, which are constantly in gear with corresponding recesses 42 in a boss 46, fixed upon the crank-shaft, and the clutch-teeth on the sleeve are kept normally in gear with the teeth on the boss of the driving-pulley 43 by springs 47; but when the vertical spindle 41 is raised, as already described, by the application of the brake 34 to the brake-wheel a projecting swell or cam-surface 48 on the sleeve 42, meeting the end of the spindle 41, slides the sleeve 42 along the crank-shaft and disengages it from the driving-pulley clutch 43 for half a revolution of the crank-shaft, while a fresh shuttle is being inserted into the shuttlebox 7, as will now be described. As the'lathe 4 moves forward when the weft-thread has broken or failed and the "shaft 19 has been" turned a quarter of a revolution, as described, the spring-knife-jointed rods 9 meet the projectingarms 18, whereby the rods 9 are caused to give way at their joints and the shuttle-box 7 is drawn down into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus allowing space enough for a fresh shuttle with a full cop to be inserted, while the shuttle-box 8 at the other end of the loom being similarly lowered leaves room for the spent shuttle to be ejected. Confining my description for the present to the setting-on side of the loom, as the shuttle-box 7 drops it acts upon the rear end of a balk or lever 51, which is pivoted to the lathe 4 at 52, thereby raising the front end of the lever 51 and as the lathe moves forward causing a pin 53 thereon to come under and raise a latch-lever 54, which is pivoted at 55 to the plate of the shuttle magazine or hopper 56. As the latch-lever 54 is raised it releases a spring slide lever or pusher 57, a pin 58 on which had been up to that moment latched behind a projection 59 on the under side of the latch-lever 54. The top of the slide lever or pusher 57, when latched as shown in Fig. 2, lies just outside the shuttle magazine or hopper 56, as shown also in Fig. 7, and the lower end of the said lever or pusher 57 is fulcrumed to the loomframe at 60. When unlatched, the slidelever or pusher 57 is drawn toward the lathe with a full shuttle from the magazine 56 by means of a strap 61, connected to aquadrant 62, pivoted on the frame at 63 and actuated by a coiled spring 64, connected at one end to the quadrant and at the other end to the frame.

'The pusher 57 is guided in a slotted plate or bracket 77, and its backward movement when acted on by the quadrant and spring 64 is limited by a strap 78, connected at one end to to the balk 51) comes in contact with the catchlever 54, lifting it, which causes the catch 59 to rise from the pin 58, allowing the pusher 57 to go forward with a full shuttle into the box. As the crank-shaft 2 reaches the front center the pusher 57' is prevented from moving too far by a strap 78. As the crankshaft 2 moves to the back center the lathe 4 leaves the pusher 57 and the box is raised (which contains the shuttle) by the bowl 63 coming in contact with the lever 9, when the balk 51 falls onto the pin 58, as shown in Fig. 1. As the crank-shaft 2 moves forward again, the balk 51,p'ressing against the pin 58, (see Fig. 1,) forces the pusher 57 backward and latches the pin 58 under the catch 59. The balk 51 after placing the pin 58 under the catch 59 falls still farther as the crank-shaft 2 again moves to the back center, so that in. its working position it is quite clear of the pin 58. The whole cycle of operation of the motion takes a period of two revolutions from the weft breaking to its returning to its originalworking position. The shuttle-magazine 56 will contain, say, eight full shuttles, and in brackets 65, fixed to the front plate ofthe magazine, is mounted a shaft 66, near each end of which is fixed a lever 67, jointed to a pin 18, which slides horizontally into and out of the magazine 56. These pins 68 when in position support the full shuttles in the magazine and allow only a single shuttle at a time to fall down into the path of the slide lever or pusher 57. When in this position ready for insertion by the pusher 57 into the shuttle-box 7, the full shuttle rests upon two spindles 69, each of which is su pported horizontally in guide-brackets 7 O, secured to the shuttle-magazine 56. These spindles 69 act as rails along which the shuttle travels from the magazine into the shuttle-box 7, and springs 71 are preferably connected to the heads of these spindles, was to allow them to yield temporarily, if required. On the shaft 66 is fixed a third lever 72, having a forked lower end, between which forks is pivoted a swivel or pendant 73, having movement only in the direction of the shuttle-box, which only acts when the slide lever or pusher 57 is being moved back from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, when a pin 74 on the pusher 57 engages'the swivel 73 and moving it back turns the shaft 66 partly round, thereby temporarily withdrawing the pins 68 and allowing a fresh shuttle to fall down into the path of the pusher 57 A strap 72*, extending from one prong of the fork to the other, prevents the swivel 73 from swinging away from the' shuttle-box. As soon as the pin 74 leaves the swivel 73 and releases the-lever 72 a spring 7 5, connected to an arm 76 on the shaft 66, turns back the latter and reinserts the pins 68 in the magazine. This swivel 73 swings on the lever 72, so that it will not operate said lever on the forward movement of the pusher 57 that is, when the pusher moves from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1. When the lathe moved forward and the fresh shuttle was inserted by the pusher 57 into the shuttle-box 7 at the setting-on side of the loom, as described, the shuttle-box 8 at the other side of the loom dropped and discharged the empty shuttle into a receptacle 79. (Indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.) To accomplish this, a finger 80, fixed on the ordinary stop-rod 81, is shaped so as to form a space into which when the shuttle-box 8 is dropping the swell 82 is drawn by a spring 16, (see Fig. 4,) and thereby releases the shuttle, and as the swell 82'is drawn-farther down with the shuttle-box 8 it comes in contact withand is'pressed forward by a stationary spring 83, and thus the shuttle 86 (see Fig. 4) is ejected and falls down a chute (not shown) into the receptacle 79. The finger is actuated by means of a second finger 84, fixed on the stop-rod 81, and this finger 84 is raised by a vertical slide 85, actuated by a cam 86, fixed on the shaft 19, when the latter is turned a quarter of a revolution to bring the arms 18 into the horizontal position and to lower the arm 32 and apply the brake and disengage the clutch-sleeve 42, as already described. The cam86, as it actuates the finger 84, stop-rod 81, and finger 80 and causes the shuttle to be discharged by the swell coming against the stationary spring 83, as described, also raises a'lever 87-, fixed on a shaft 88, on which is also fixed an arm 89, which comes under and lifts the taking-up catch 90 out of gear with the taking-up ratchet-wheel 91, and thus by means of the ordinary slip-catch (not shown) lets back the taking-up motion two teeth. This is efiected while the loom is on the front centerthat is to say, while the lathe 4 is forward andwhen the lathe moves back the shuttle-boxes 7 and 8 are raised and replaced in their working positions by two projections 92, (one ofwhich is shown in Fig. 3; but the corresponding projection at the other side of the loom cannot be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, 'as --it is hidden by the pivot of the quadrant 62, immediately behind which it is placed.) As the loom returns to the back centerthat is to say, the lathe moves backthe rods 9 come against the projections 92. whereby the knife-joints are reset and the rods 9 straightened out, thus raising the shuttle-boxes 7 and 8, and, further, the

empty picks made by the loom that is to say, the picks made while the loom was changing shuttleshave been compensated for by letting back two teeth of the taking-up motion, as described. By the time that the lathe again moves forward the weft-tappet 29 will have lowered the bell-crank lever 24, thus allowing the spring 31 as the strap 22 slackens to turn back the shaft 19 into its original position, (see Fig. 1,) thus raising the projections 18 out of the way of the rods 9 and causing the arm 32 to take off the brake 34 and lowering the spindle 41 out of the groove of the clutchsleeve 42, the teeth on which are by the springs 47 caused to reengage the clutch-teeth on the driving-pulley 43. Again, as the rods 9 are reset and the shuttle-boxes 7 and 8 are raised the balk or lever 51 returns to its initial position, as shown in Fig. 1, and as the lathe swings forward the front end of the lever 51 comes against the pin or projection 58 on the shuttle-pusher 57 and, carrying it back, latches the said pin behind the projection 59 on the latch-lever 54 in the position shown in Fig. 2. During this movement and prior to being latched the pin 74 on the shuttle-pusher, acting on the swivel 0r pendant 73 of the lever 72, drew back the pins 68 and allowed a second shuttle to fall down from the magazine 56 onto the spindles 69 into the path of the shuttle-pusher 57 and ready for insertion into the shuttle-box 7 in the event of another breakage or failure of weft. As the shaft 66 is moved and the pins 68 withdrawn to allow the second shuttle to drop down the weft-fork 25 is raised to prevent it from engaging with the weft-hammer 26, and so actuating the shaft 19, which is not required, and this is effected by means of a projection 93 on one of the levers 67, which when the shaft 66 is partly turned by the shuttle-pusher 57 comes under and raises a lever 94, fulcrumed at 95 to the breast-beam of the loom. As the lever 94 is raised it lifts the tail of the weft-fork 25, and thus prevents it from engaging the weft-hammer 26. In other words, the device just described holds back the weft-fork 25 in place of the weft, (the loom having picked Without a shuttle) and thus allows all the parts to regain their true relative positions ready for the first pick of the full shuttle which has been inserted by the pusher 57, as previously described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In a loom, a lathe, a shuttle-box at each end of the lathe having a falling bottom, twopart spring knife-jointed rods supporting the bottoms of the boxes, movable projections for collapsing the knife-jointed rods and lowering the shuttle-boxes, means for positioning the movableprojections upon failure of the weft, means for discharging a spent shuttle from the shuttle-box at one side of the loom, means for withdrawing a fresh shuttle from the magazine and inserting it into the shuttle-box at the setting side of the loom, means for letting back the. taking-up motion to compensate for the picks made while one shuttle is being discharged and a fresh one inserted, and stationary projections on the loom for resetting the knife-jointed rods, substantially as described.

2. In a loom, a vertically-movable shuttlebox at each end, spring knife-jointed rods for supporting said boxes, movable projections for collapsing said rods, means for positioning said projections on the failure of the weft, means for discharging a spent shuttle from one shuttle-box, means for inserting a fresh shuttle into the other shuttle-box, means for letting back the taking-up motion to compensate for the picks made while one shuttle is being discharged and a fresh one inserted, brake mechanism for checking the motion of the loom, clutch mechanism for temporarily disconnecting the driving means, and stationary projections for resetting said knife-jointed rods, substantially as described.

3. In a loom, the combination with the lathe vertically-movable shuttle-boxes at each end thereof and means for inserting a fresh shuttle and Withdrawing the old one when the boxes are lowered, of spring knife-jointed rods supporting said boxes, movable projections for collapsing the rods, means for positioning said projections on the failure of the weft comprising a weft-hammer, a hammer-lever, means for imparting a quick lift and a long dwell thereto, a bell-crank lever, connections from said lever to the projections, and a weft-fork supported on said bell-crank lever, and means for restoring said knife-jointed rods to initial position, substantially as described.

4. In a loom the combination with the risingand-falling shuttle-box at the setting-on side of the loom and a collapsible support therefor, of a magazine for the shuttles, a swinging push-lever for withdrawing a fresh shuttle from the magazine and inserting it into the shuttle-box, a pin projection on said pushlever, a latch-lever 54 and a balk-lever pivoted to the lathe below the shuttle-box and adapted to cause said projection to engage said latchlever or to disengage said projection from said latch-lever to latch and unlatch the push-lever, substantially as described.

5. In a loom, the combination with the shuttle-magazine, of a swinging push-lever for ejecting the shuttles therefrom, means for latching and unlatching said lever, a rockshaft adjacent to said magazine, arms or levers carried thereby, pins connected to said arms and adapted to enter the magazine, an arm or lever connected to said rock-shaft having a swivel on its lower end, and a pin or projection on the push-lever adapted to contact with said swivel, substantially as described.

6. In a loom,the combination,with the shuttle-magazine, and a swing-pusher for ejecting shuttles therefrom, of a rock-shaft operated by said pusher, a weft-fork, a weft-hammer, anda lever operated by said rock-shaft and having a projection adapted to prevent the weft-fork from engaging the weft-hammer for one pick, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the shaft 19, the weft-fork 25 the weft-hammer 26, Connections whereby said shaft'is operated when the weftfork engages the weft-hammer the projection 32 on said shaft, a brake adapted to be applied by said projection, a spindle L1 raised by said projection, of the sliding sleeve 42 loose on the crank-shaft and formed with a cam-surface 48 and clutch-teeth on one side, the drivmg-pulley 43 formed with corresponding RIDLEY STARKIE.

Witnesses;

S.'W. GILLETT, HERBERT ROWLAND ABBEY. 

